A viewing apparatus comprises one or more optical elements, which may be moved in order to redirect light entering the viewing apparatus such that a subject in any part of the field of view may be relocated to the center of the viewed image without moving the viewing apparatus itself. The viewing apparatus further comprises a relay lens group which conditions the light into a quasi-collimated state before it enters the optical elements allowing a more compact device to be produced. The viewing apparatus may additionally include a zoom lens mechanism to enable the viewed image to be enlarged.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A viewing apparatus comprising a first end for receiving incident light from within a field of view and being adapted to produce a focused image on an image plane at a second end of the viewing apparatus, the viewing apparatus further comprising one or more optical elements that may be moved so that light from anywhere within the field of view of the viewing apparatus can be redirected to the optical axis thus moving the field of view without moving the viewing apparatus itself, wherein the viewing apparatus comprises a relay lens group at the first end of the viewing apparatus operable in use to condition the light such that it is non-collimated to a degree prior to it being incident on the one or more optical elements.
2. A viewing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the relay lens group has a numerical aperture of less than or equal to 0.03.
3. A viewing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the relay lens group has a numerical aperture in the range from 0.017 to 0.03.
4. A viewing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the relay lens group has a numerical aperture in the range from 0.022 to 0.028.
5. A viewing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the viewing apparatus comprises a conditioning lens or group of lenses located in use between the one or more optical elements and the second end of the viewing apparatus and adapted such that in use it compensates for any aberrations introduced by the relay lens group or the one or more optical elements.
6. A viewing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the viewing apparatus further comprises a zoom apparatus for magnifying the image being viewed.
7. A viewing apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein a conditioning lens or group of lenses are incorporated in the zoom apparatus.
8. A viewing apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the zoom apparatus comprises two or more groups of lens elements and is operable by linear relative movement between the two or more groups.
9. A viewing apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the zoom apparatus comprises a solid state zoom lens.
10. A viewing apparatus as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the zoom apparatus is detachable.
11. A viewing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the one or more optical elements comprise one or more Risley prisms.
12. A viewing apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein at least one of the Risley prisms comprises two wedge prisms, and wherein at least one of the wedge prisms comprises two or more elements, each element formed from a material of different refractive index.
13. A viewing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the viewing apparatus comprises an aperture stop.
14. A viewing apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the aperture stop is provided within a zoom apparatus.
15. A viewing apparatus as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the relay lens group is operable in use to project a real image of the aperture stop forwards from the first end of the viewing apparatus into object space thus producing an external entrance pupil.
16. A viewing apparatus as claimed in claim 15 , wherein in use the real image of the aperture stop remains stationary relative to the viewing apparatus.
17. A viewing apparatus comprising a first end for receiving incident light from within a field of view and being adapted to produce a focused image on an image plane at a second end of the viewing apparatus, the viewing apparatus further comprising one or more optical elements that may be moved so that light from anywhere within the field of view of the viewing apparatus can be redirected to the optical axis thus moving the field of view without moving the viewing apparatus itself, wherein the viewing apparatus comprises a relay lens group at the first end of the viewing apparatus operable in use to condition the light such that it is non-collimated to a degree prior to it being incident on the one or more optical elements, wherein (i) the viewing apparatus comprises an aperture stop and (ii) the relay lens group is operable in use to project a real image of the aperture stop forwards from the first end of the viewing apparatus into object space thus producing an external entrance pupil at a distance in the range of 2 to 4 millimeters from the first end of the viewing apparatus.
18. A viewing apparatus comprising a first end for receiving incident light from within a field of view and being adapted to produce a focused image on an image plane at a second end of the viewing apparatus, the viewing apparatus further comprising one or more optical elements that may be moved so that light from anywhere within the field of view of the viewing apparatus can be redirected to the optical axis thus moving the field of view without moving the viewing apparatus itself, wherein the viewing apparatus comprises a relay lens group at the first end of the viewing apparatus operable in use to condition the light such that it is non-collimated to a degree prior to it being incident on the one or more optical elements, wherein (i) the viewing apparatus comprises an aperture stop, (ii) the relay lens group is operable in use to project a real image of the aperture stop forwards from the first end of the viewing apparatus into object space thus producing an external entrance pupil, and (iii) the viewing apparatus is in use contained within a housing, said housing having a hole therein, the viewing apparatus being arranged in the housing such that the real image of the aperture stop projected by the relay lens group is substantially coincident with the hole.
19. A method of viewing a subject through a hole comprising use of a viewing apparatus comprising a first end for receiving incident light from within a field of view and being adapted to produce a focused image on an image plane at a second end of the viewing apparatus, the viewing apparatus further comprising one or more optical elements that may be moved so that light from anywhere within the field of view of the viewing apparatus can be redirected to the optical axis thus moving the field of view without moving the viewing apparatus itself, wherein the viewing apparatus comprises a relay lens group at the first end of the viewing apparatus operable in use to condition the light such that it is non-collimated to a degree prior to it being incident on the one or more optical elements, wherein (i) the viewing apparatus comprises an aperture stop and (ii) the relay lens group is operable in use to project a real image of the aperture stop forwards from the first end of the viewing apparatus into object space thus producing an external entrance pupil, the viewing apparatus being arranged such that the real image of the aperture stop that is projected forwards by the relay lens group is substantially coincident with the hole.
20. A method as claimed in any claim 19 , wherein the hole has a diameter in the range 0.3 to 1 millimeter.
21. A method as claimed claim 19 , wherein the hole produces a relative aperture in the range F/7 to F/15.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
July 4, 2007
October 23, 2012
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